Indicator.



A. V. BALLIN.

INDIOATOR. ugmoumn FILED MAY a1, 1907.

Patented May 18', 1909.

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displayed ALBERT V. BALLIN, OF YONKERS, NEW

COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N.

YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE BALLIN INDICATOR Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1909.

Application filed May 31, 1907. Serial No. 376,705.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT V. BALLIN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Yonkers, in the county of l/Vestchester and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inIndicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an indicator, for exhibiting differentnumbers, signs, words and the like at the will of an operator. In theaccompanying application it is shown as a station indicator in a railwaycar, and also in a railway station, but its operation and constructionis such that it can be used for many other purposes.

The organization of the invention comprises one or more pairs of drumsupon which are wound flexible sheets of material, the drums being placedrequisite distances apart so that a word, numeral or sentence can beupon the sheet of material extending between rollers adjacent to thedrums, and means for maintaining the said material taut. The material iskept taut by means of an adjusting roller which bears against the saidmaterial, and by means of which not only a flat surface is obtained whenthe sheet of material with its number, word, etc. is presented to theobserver, avoiding the crimping thereof, but the sheet rolls on one drumand unrolls from the other without bulging.

Figure 1 represents a cross-section of a car as on the line 1, 1, ofFig. 2 with the invention exemplified therein, Fig. 2 shows a partialsection of Fig. 1 as on the line 2, 2, of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is an enlargedportion of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is an enlarged portion of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 showsan end view of Fig. 4, Fig. 6 represents an enlarged front elevation ofthe main portion of the invention, Fig. 7 shows a right hand end view ofFig. 6, Fig. 8 is a partial section of Fig. 7 on the line 8, 8, Fig. 9represents an enlarged partial left hand end view of Fig. 6, Fig. 10 isa partial section of Fig. 9 on the line 10, 10, Fig. 11 is a section ofFig. 6 on the line 11, 11, Fig. 12 shows a partial section of Fig. 9 onthe'line- 12,12, Figs. 13 and 14 are enlarged portions of Fig. 12, Fig.15 is a partial section of Fig. 9 on the line 15, 15, Fig. 16 is anenlarged section of Fig. 15 on the line 16, 16, Fig. 17 is an enlargedportion of Fig. 15, Fig. 18 represents a front view of a modification lroller 76 to the lower drum 49.

of the invention, Fig. and thence to the lower drum. 56.

19 is a side View of Fig. 18, Fig. 20 shows a partial section of Fig. 18on the line 20, 20, Fig. 21 shows a partial enlarged view of Fig. 18partly in section, Fig. 22 shows a section of Fig. 21 on the line 22,22.

The invention is represented with a box or casing having hinged doors 31with openings 32 in its sides 33, and the slides 34 at its ends. Hooks52 extend from the casing 30 which bear on the rails 51. Frames 35 and36 extend between and are fastened to the sides 33. Bushings 37 aresecured to the frame 35 which constitute bearings for the shafts 38 thatcarry the spur gears 39, 40, 41 and 42. On a pin 43 secured in the frame35 is journaled a spur gear 44. The gears 39 and 40 as well as the gears41 and 42 mesh with each other, and the gear 44 meshes with the gears 39and 41. The right hand ends of the shafts 38 have formed with themsquare shaped sockets 45, which latter support square shaped spindles 46extending from the left hand ends of the upper drums 47, 48 and lowerdrums 49 and 50. The said drums are all parallel to each other. Theframe 36 has attached thereto the bushing in which is journaled thesocket end a shaft 57. The opening 58 in the socket end 56 is squareshaped and contains the spring 59, a bearing'button 60, and a squareshaped spindle 61 extending from the right hand end of the drum 47. Tothe frame 36 are also fastened the cylindrical socket bearings 65 whichcontain the springs 66, hearing buttons 67 and the cylindrical spindles68 extending from the right hand ends of the drums 48, 49 and 50.

In the frames 35 and 36 are formed the vertical slots 7 O with thehorizontal legs 71 and bearings 72. Regulating rollers 73 have spindles74 extending from their ends which latter are engaged by the said slots70.

pper guide rollers 75, 77 and lower guide rollers 76, 78 are journaledin the frames 35 and 36 adjacent to said drums. A sheet of paper 80 orother flexible material extends from the upper drum 47, passes under oneof the regulating rollers 73, thence over the guide roller 75, nextunder the guide A sheet of paper 81 or other flexible material extendsfrom the upper drum 48 then under the other regulating rollers 7 3, nextover the guide roller 77, then down under the guide roller 7 8 It willbe noted that the pairs of guide rollers 75, 76 and 7 .7, 78 areverticallymore distant from each other than the drums 47, 4'9 and 48,,50; and the regulating rollers 73 are guided in vertical slots betweenthe said guide rollers and their accompanying drums.

On the right hand end of the shaft 57 (see Fig. 12) is fastened a bevelgear which meshes with a bevel gear 86. A bracket 87 is fastened to oneof the ends 34 of the case 30 and has formed therewith journal bearingsfor the shaft 57 and the hub 88 of the bevel gear 86. A shaft 89 isfastened to the hub 88 and is supported in journal brackets 90 fastenedto the upper portion of the car 91. The said shaft 89 extends on bothsides of the case 30. On each end of the shaft 89 is fastened a bevelgear 97 that meshes with a bevel gear 92, the latter gear being fastenedto a vertical spindle 93 with hand wheel 94. A journal bracket 95 isfastened to each end 96 of the car and supports the ends of the shafts89 and spindles 93.

It will be noted that the regulating rollers 73 are suspended by thesheets of material 80 and 81, and that the said regulating rollersmaintain the said material taut, during all positions thereof, andirrespective of whether the most of the material is on the upper orlower drums.

In the modified form of the invention a number of indicators are housedin one casin (see Figs. 18 to 22), as 100, which con.- tams the chambers101 with openings 102. Frames 104 with vertical slots 105 are lo catedin said chambers. An upper drum 106 and a lower drum 107 are located ineach chamber and journaled in said frames. An upper guide roller 108 anda lower guide roller 109 are 'ournaled in the frames 104 ad jaeent tothe drums. A regulating roller 1 10 engages with the slots 105 and ismovable with reference to the drums 106 and 107 A sheet of flexiblematerial 111 with numbers, signs or words thereon extends from the up erdrum and passes under the regulating roller from which it passes overthe up per guide roller 108 then down opposite an opening 102 in thecasing 100, next under the lower guide roller 109 and finally to thelowerdrum 107. Spindles 112 and 113 extending from the drums havesecured thereto the pulleys 114, 115 which are connected by a belt orchain 116. The spindles 112 extend outside of the casing 100 and haveattached thereto sprocket chain wheels with chains 121.

Below the case 100 is preferably located a pair of brackets 122 whichhave journaled therein spindles 123 that carry sprocket chain wheels 124and hand wheels 125. The chains 121 extend from the chain wheels 120 toand around the chain wheels 124.

To operate the invention and referring to Figs. 1 to 1.7, a user hassimply to turn the hand wheel 94 on either end of the car until theproper number, sign, word &c. is exposed to view at the openings 32..When the sheet of material unwinds from either of the upper or lowerdrums and winds up on its accompanying drum, the weight of theregulating roller bearing on the sheet will maintain it taut.

1n the modification shown in Figs. 18 to 22 the operator turns any ofthe hand wheels 125 to set any of the indicators with the requisite nameor sign opposite any of the openings in the case. it will be noted thatthe brackets 122 with their appurtenances could be dispensed with andthe chains would then be handled by the operator to turn the drums.

To disengage any of the drums from the case and referring specially toFigs. 12-t0 17, it is accomplished by moving any of the drums to theright against the tension of the springs 58 or 66 when the spindle 46can be unlocked from its socket 45. The drum can be removed through oneof the openings in the sides of the case.

It will be noted that when the drum 4:7 is rotated by means of the shaft57 that all the drums are rotated in unison and that both the sheets 80and v81 are moved at the same time.

The regulating rollers 73 can be lifted up into the horizontal legs 7 1and in the bearings 7 2 to be out of the way when a drum is to be takenout of the case, or any adjustments of the device are to be made.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination in an indicator of a casing having openings in thesides thereof, a pair of frames in the casing having vertical slots eachwith a horizontal leg and a bearing, a pair of upper drums and a pair oflower drums 11 parallel to each other journaled in said frames, means torotate the drums in unison, an upper guide roller adjacent to each upperdrum and a lower guide roller adjacent to each lower drum, regulatingrollers on the opposite sides of the four drums and engaged with theslots in said frames, sheets of flexible material with signs thereonextending between each upper drum and its accompanying regulatingroller, then extending over its upper guide roller, from the latterpassing to its lower guide roller opposite one of the openings in thecase, drum, a rotatable shaft connected to one of and finally to itslower the drums, a second shaft adjacent to said I a pair of upper endof each shaft, a fifth shaft, a socket end formed in the latter shaftjournaled in the other frame and axially in line with one of the drums,a square shaped spindle extend ing from the latter drum and engaging thelatter socket, a spring bearing between the end of the spindle and thebottom of the latter socket, cylindrical socket bearings in the secondframe axially in line with the one of said shafts at one end thereof anda square shaped socket formed in the opposite end of each shaft, a fifthspur gear meshing with a pair of the other gears, square shaped.spindles extending from the drums engaging the sockets of said shafts,socket bearings in the second frame axially in line with theiraccompanying drums, spindles extending from the drums engaged by thesocket bearings, means to rotate one of the drums, a j three otherdrums, cylindrical spindles exregulating roller on one side of one ofthe tending from the latter drums journaled in upper drums and aregulating roller on the asaid cylindrical socket bearings, means toopposite side of the other upper drum, an l rotate the fifth shaft, aregulating roller 011 upper guide roller adjacent to each upper I oneside of one of the upper drums and a drum and a lower guide rolleradjacent to regulating roller on the opposite side of the each lowerdrum, sheets of flexible material other upper drum, an upper guideroller adj aextending between each upper drum and its j cent to eachupper drum and a lower guide accompanying lower drum and the guideroller adjacent to each lower drum, sheets of roller adjacent theretoand suspending the l flexible material extending between each regulatingrollers to maintain the material up er drum andits lower drum and theguide taut. rol er adjacent thereto and suspending the 3. Thecombination in an indicator of a i regulating rollers.

casing having openings in the sides thereof, a j Signed at the boroughof Manhattan, in pair of frames in said casing, a pair of upper J thecounty of New York and State of New drums and abpair of lowefr drumsparallel to York, this 28th day of May A. D. 1907.

one another etween the "rames, shafts 'ouru T naled in one of saidframes axially in line I ALBERT BALLI'N with the drums, a spur gearfastened to each j Witnesses: one of said shafts at one end thereof anda f MARTIN ZIMANSKY, square shaped socket formed in the opposite JOHN JMILLIN.

